Mar 7, 2016
Think about your favorite novel or TV show. Whether you are a Harry Potter fan, a Game of Thrones fan or a Walking Dead fan, there is something about your favorite story that captivates and engages you. You feel a connection to the characters and want to discover what comes next on their journey; you want to learn more about them.
Storytelling doesn’t have to be just for novels and television shows; it can become a highly effective tool for learning in the workplace. In this article, we will explore and offer some ideas on how to create an engaging and captivating landscape for your employees that puts them at the center of the story.
Why Stories are Powerful
Stories are one of the most powerful learning tools in a number of different ways. According to publisher and researcher, Richard C. Owen, “Stories are the way that we store information in the brain. Stories are how we organize and tie information together and remember information.” This inherent behavior is what we can use during training to ensure that the training is understood and remembered by the learners. We can deliver critical information for success by embedding it into an exciting learning journey.
Delivering training this way provides several key benefits when executed correctly. Creating a story around your content that unfolds into an exciting journey will result in employees who are able to stay focused and interested in what they’re being taught. In turn, this peaked level of interest and engagement will foster a higher level of retention. When employees feel like training is less of a chore and more of an activity, they’re more likely to store the information and put it into action.
To help you further explore the numerous benefits of creating an online learning adventure, we have created 3 examples of creative online landscapes that can be used to achieve various business objectives. These scenarios can be adjusted to fit your company’s specific needs.
Creative Landscape Idea #1: Climb Mount Everest
Objective: This scenario should be used to help your employees test their skills when it comes to completing tasks, solving problems, and making wise decisions at work.
In this type of scenario, employees will work toward reaching the peak of Mount Everest. In order to do so, they must ensure that they’re fully prepared for the journey. They must also make the right decisions and be able to solve problems along the way if they want to proceed up the mountain. This type of landscape provides a visual representation of how to accomplish career-related goals. You could also use it for less lofty goals, as long as they’re still work-related, such as achieving a specific sales goal.
Creative Landscape Idea #2: Fight an Alien Invasion
Objective: This scenario should be used to help employees practice problem-solving skills and to help employees work together on difficult, common goals.
In this type of scenario, employees will tackle a major challenge that arises without leaving disaster in their wake. They will need to figure out how to successfully handle an alien invasion that threatens to destroy their world. The trick is to do so without causing just as much, if not more, damage while they’re at it. This could mean finding a way to negotiate with the aliens instead of blasting them away or finding another method of getting rid of them that doesn’t involve widespread destruction.
Creative Landscape Idea #3: Race on an F1 circuit
Objective: This scenario can be used to tap into the competitive spirit of your sales people
This scenario creates a healthy competition amongst your people. It helps people get into the mindset of a fast moving, healthy competition with well known targets. Typically, sales people could be motivated using such scenarios for achieving their targets. Giving them constant feedback of their own progress as well as their peers makes them come up with innovative ways to get ahead, while still following the rules of the organization.
Setting up creative landscapes serves as a guaranteed way to have your employees process and discuss what they learn. It also helps ensure that they’ll have some practice in applying the concepts and ideas they’ve been taught.
What are your ideas for building an engaging online journey? Inviting your colleagues to participate in the ideas and the design can make for a fun brainstorming session. Leave a comment and let us know!
